Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-02-19
THE WRECKS AT SAN PEDRO.

nebec and the barkentine San Luis at the
San Pedro roadstead on the 18th instant,
counts of which were given in
dispatches to the RECoRD-UNIoN, in
dicates very clearly the INSULT
cheney of the harborage at that port for
general commercial purposes. AT the time
of the storm there were a number of YES
sells lying at anchor in the offing, some of
which saved themselves by weighing an
Choir and putting to sea. To be near the
shore in an open roadstead during storm
is to be in the presence of danger, and it
will require but a few instances like the
recent losses to make shipowners very eau
tious about receiving cargoes consigned to
San Pedro.
The absence of adequate harborage on
the coast opposite Los Angeles is the one
great drawback to the establishment of a
great commerce at that point. To supply
this want, an attempt is being made to
create a harbor at Ballona, point five
miles southeast of Santa Monica All
along the southern coast the sea is very
shoal for considerable distance. and the
continued deposit of sand makes the for
nation of sand-spits some distance from
the main shore line thing of constant &C.
currence. Ballona Bay, which it is now
proposed to convert into harbor, or at
least to attempt to do so, is the result of
this action of the sand. 1t consists of a
narrow strip Of water lying parallel with
the shore, about mile and half at its
greatest length and about FIVE hundred feet
wide. This narrow strip Of water is di
vided from the waters of the sea by long
and high sand ridge, or dune, which for
long time has completely inclosed the lit
tie bay and formed new wide sand beach
on the outward or ocean side of the sand
spit.
Much difference of opinion exists as to
the practicability of converting this mar
row strip of Water into harbor. A line
of rail has been surveyed from Los An
geles to the point. The land has been
purchased Immediately contiguous to the
bay, and town site is projected. The
waters of the sea and the bay have been
connected by cut or passage about one
hundred or one hundred and fifty feet
wide. Through this passage, at last ac-
counts, tide was running and depth of
ten to twelve feet in the cut had been Sc
cured. The engineer in charge of the
work is extremely confident of his success.
There are, however, obvious objections
and, IN our opinion, insurmountable OBJ
stacles-to the creation of harbor
adapted to the wants of commerce. In the
first place, connecting the waters of little,
narrow bay with the ocean will introduce
tidal currents into the bay of Ballona, and
this will carry inward the accumulation of
sand held in suspension by the sea at that
point. The formation of bars at the
mouth of harbor is a recognized fact in
all instances. In the case Of Ballona bay
there will of necessity be two bars-one
inward as well as one outward. One reason
for this supposition is that the tidal res
ervoir of the bay is very small. The in
flux of water upon the rising tide cannot
by any possibility be greater than the
efux. The inward action of the tidal
current, therefore, will be equal to its out
ward action, and this movement of current
in and out across the artificial cut which
has been made to connect the water of
the bay with the waters of the ocean, will
have an inward as well as an outward de-
post. Immediately opposite the artificial
channel, and on the landward side, shoal
will be formed. The increase of this will
constitute currents northward and south
ward on the eastward side of the bay.
These currents, after making the round of
the bay, will gradually shallow the mar
gins, which will meet almost opposite the
artificial channel on the landward side,
and the greatest deposit will be made at
that point.
This is illustrated by the harbor of San
Francisco The influx through the Golden
Gate separates into two channels immedi-
ately upon entering the tidal reservoir,
one flowing north and the other south.
These tidal currents make deep water on
the San Francisco side, but likewise pro-
duce the broad mud fats on the Oakland
side, and Immediately opposite the Golden
Gate In tidal reservoir as great as that
of San Francisco Bay, this process may go
on for centuries without appreciably les
SEEMING the harborage capacity of the bay,
but in a narrow strip of water not exceed
ing FIVE hundred feet at its widest place,
and but one mile and half in its greatest
extent, there is small storage capacity for
the vast amount of sand which the waters
of the ocean hold in suspension, and
which they continually deposit upon the
shore. The depositing of sand on the sea
side of the sand-spit ought to be sufficient
warning to the projectors Of this novel un-